Evermind
by redex
Summary: Kai's life as a homosexual. Read & Review. Please. Oh, and nastiness. Thou hast been warned. [dead]
1. To Wonder

Hey. It's Red, of course.  
  
Black: Muahahahahahahahaaaaa! She's finally giving into me!  
  
Kai/Rei all they way, whoooooo! There is going to be so much misery! Kai's going to.mmmmmmph!  
  
White: *has hand over Black's mouth* don't spoil the surprise. I don't know what it is, but I like surprises! ^__________^  
  
Black: *snicker* I'm afraid you won't like this one very much, Dovey.  
  
White: SShhhhhhh! Don't call me by my real name!  
  
Black: Whoops! ^__^'  
  
OK. Sense reading an amazing fic called "Untold Truths" by Ladya C. Maxine (plug!) I have been inspired to stick Tala in here somewhere, even though he wasn't in the original.  
  
Ok, so this is a Kai/Rei fic.  
  
Black: Duh.  
  
White: Red doesn't own the beyblade characters or the show, for that matter. Too bad! ^__^  
  
Black: -_-' Well, on with the angst.  
  
~`~,*`~,~  
  
I hate this stupid fuckin' world.  
  
The window's cold.  
  
This team needs some time away. Tyson's getting a big head. I must have insulted him enough to bring a normal person into depression, but he just ignores me.  
  
I should ask how he does that.  
  
They're trying to play cards on the bus. Oh yes, good idea: A stack of cards on a slippery surface on a jolting fast-moving bus.  
  
The captain's eyes close to slits.  
  
I need something to distract me.  
  
He pulls out a disc man from his bag and put in some reasonably depressing music.  
  
Not that I have any other type.  
  
Rei.  
  
He gave in generously to Tyson. Why, and how, was he so patient with that gluttonous idiot? Although I do have a soft spot for the fool.  
  
Unfortunately.  
  
Rei is now leaning back in his seat across from me and his eyes are closed.  
  
His body is so fine. He has this lean form that all expert predators have. The sleek ones like tigers for example. I hate this.  
  
He just.something in me just.I can't help it, it's just. ARG!  
  
No one asked.  
  
No one cared.  
  
No one knew.  
  
It was all their fault. Of course it was, it always was.  
  
Would I be like this if it wasn't for them? Who knew?  
  
Dirt road.  
  
Shouts of annoyance. Cards fall.  
  
A king of hearts on the floor by my foot. How ironic. Will someone find it? Rei perhaps?  
  
Of course not.  
  
Not when it's back here with me.  
  
This music needs to be louder. Can't hear over the rest of them. I think Rei's asleep. He hasn't moved from his spot.  
  
~ I wanna have you  
  
'Cause you're all I've got  
  
Don't wanna loose you  
  
'Cause it means a lot  
  
All the joy this world can bring  
  
Doesn't give me anything  
  
When you're not here. ~  
  
The bus is slowing down so we must be close.  
  
Crimson eyes open.  
  
Rei looks so innocent. How many times have I watched him sleep like that at night, my secret fears keeping me awake?  
  
I hate being afraid.  
  
~ Idiot me  
  
Stupid fool  
  
How could you be  
  
So uncool?  
  
To fall in love with someone who  
  
Doesn't really care for you  
  
It's so obscure. ~  
  
But Rei.  
  
He's not gay, no matter how much I wish he was. He would have no reason to hide it. He's secure in his friendships, they would accept him.  
  
Not me.  
  
What are the chances of two gay guys ending up on the same team? Infinitesimally small.  
  
I am such a fool for even hoping.  
  
I'm just the quiet stoic mysterious private captain who believes in too much training.  
  
They've never seen anything else.  
  
I've never let them see any differently.  
  
~ But I feel.  
  
Wonderful  
  
Yes I feel.  
  
Wonderful ~  
  
But I always feel so good when Rei just graces me with a touch, a smile, a glance. How much have I already endured with the hope of just that?  
  
Only that?  
  
~ God it makes me be so blue  
  
Every time I think about you  
  
All the heat of my desire  
  
Smokin' like some crazy fire  
  
~ So stupid. I have to do something or go crazy with longing. I guess you could say I'm suicidal. Actually, now that I think about it, I always have been ready to die at a moments notice.  
  
Just a tiny bit more regret than before.  
  
~ Come on here  
  
Look at me  
  
Where I stand  
  
Can't you see my heart burnin  
  
In my hands?  
  
Do you want me?  
  
Do you not?  
  
Does it feel cold baby?  
  
Does it feel hot?  
  
~ I would offer myself so fast for Rei.  
  
But I'm so scared to hold my heart out to him, to risk it being hurt.  
  
It's already scarred, too many to count.  
  
All their fault.  
  
~ I wanna hold you  
  
And be so held back  
  
Don't wanna need you  
  
But it's where I'm at  
  
Thinkin' 'bout you every day  
  
How come I was made that way? ~  
  
Why?  
  
~ It's so surreal.  
  
But I feel.  
  
Wonderful  
  
Yes I feel.  
  
Wonderful.  
  
~ The bus is slowing down, stopping. My headphones need to come off. Poor Rei, jolted awake. A few things go sliding down the floor. The card stayed put. My CD player goes in the bag for now; I'll probably need it a lot, sharing small quarters with Tyson, Max and Kenny.  
  
I'm getting a room with Rei; one small indulgence. No one will question that.  
  
No one knew, except the Demolition boys. They understood. How couldn't they?  
  
But no one cared.  
  
Why was I made this way?  
  
Wonderful.  
  
~`~,*`~,~  
  
Pretty vague in some parts, I know, but I wanted to try out a new writing style. If you like it, the next chapter will be part in the first person,  
  
Black: which I will force her to practice  
  
And part in my normal third. This story has an indefinite ending, rather like a lot of my previous fics  
  
Black: don't bother looking, they aren't there.  
  
But I DO have a plot-line, believe it or not. This isn't just all hentai. My fics are about people.  
  
Black: Albet, HOT people. ^__^'  
  
So review already!  
  
Clicky clicky! 


	2. An End

Chapter 2: An End  
  
~`~,*`~,~  
  
Hey.  
  
Written to Linkin Park's Meteora album. Alternating from sad to depressed to violent.  
  
Black: Very appropriate! ^__^  
  
Okie, loads of reviews!  
  
Black: I can't believe people actually read this.  
  
-_-  
  
So. before I get going it seems like I'm going to have to resolve an issue: This IS NOT Rei's POV. It wasn't in the plan originally, but sense so many people seem to want one; I'm going to have to shove it in somewhere and see if I can actually make it fit without ruining the over-all fluidity.  
  
Platinum Rei: Thanx, I like to start my fics oddly so I don't' know if people like them like that.  
  
Esuna: I luv doing angst, very realistic and something people can relate to. And sorry, this isn't Rei's.  
  
Hikari no Yami: um, same. See above.  
  
Eresphen's Light: Thanx, but. It's not a one-shot! ^__^ I'm taking that as a complement, since that's how I write.  
  
Vampyre Neko: YES!  
  
Ryu_Blader: I will! ^__^  
  
Ashla: Thanx for being my first reviewer and I'm sorry for the typo!  
  
Black: AND NOW, TO RED'S FIRST FLAMER *drum roll* FUCK OFF!!! There happens to be a lot wrong with us, and nothing at all, at the same time. DEAL!!!  
  
^__^ I love having an evil muse to make me feel better.  
  
Anyways.  
  
As you may have guessed in the previous chapter, Kai isn't very happy with himself and wants to do something to deal with his confusion. This is his decision. Probably what you think, as it's been done to death, but I'm doing it anyways!  
  
Black: -_-'  
  
This is where it all starts, really.  
  
Black: Red doesn't own Beyblade. I mean seriously. Do you people THINK?  
  
~`,~*`~,~  
  
I take off my vambrances and let them fall to the ground in front of me. I hesitate only a short second before reaching behind my neck and slowly untying my scarf. I carefully fold it into a small rectangle and set it on top of my vambrances.  
  
Feeling naked and unusually open I put my hand into my pocket and pull out the round object in it. Dranzer, my trusting friend and staunch supporter through long, hard times.  
  
Another pause of consideration.  
  
"I'm sorry," I whisper, sad and feeling slightly guilty, "I can't anymore. I know you tried, don't blame yourself." I falter, those inevitable hard words sticking in my throught.  
  
"Good bye."  
  
I hear her silent, final plea echoing in my head, but I resolve myself and block her out, knowing she was fighting to get out, and would if I gave her even the slightest spot of weakness.  
  
I open my hand and she falls down onto the smooth cloth of my scarf, face down.  
  
I jerk my eyes away from the sad sight, everything I had ever thought of as me sitting alone on the dirt. I was now truly naked to the world.  
  
My hand drifted down and I put it into my pocket again for the last part of my plan. When my fingers closed over the metal, slightly warm from my body heat, I reviewed everything to make sure it would work, knowing I was just delaying, but unable to take that final step just yet.  
  
The note was written earlier this morning and was next to the telephone. They should find it as soon as they got back. Probably about now. It would take them a few minutes to get here if they walked. I would tell them, tell Rei, everything. Then if they rejected me, if Rei rejected me, I would do it. No hesitation there.  
  
If they accepted me.  
  
Well, what were the chances?  
  
I waited. The sun started to go down. Good ambiance. Few more minutes. As each second passed I grow more anxious. What if they didn't find it? What if they just didn't come? I suppressed the fearful questions and decided to give them a few more minutes. Maybe they were just taking a while.  
  
A few more minutes and the sun disappeared behind the trees and hills. This was it. They weren't coming. The pain fueled my anger as I pulled out my hand from my pocket. In it lay my final end. A small pocket knife with a phoenix engraved on one side, a flame on the other. A present from Rei, ironically enough.  
  
I flicked the blade open, the metal glinting silver in the shadowy light. I'm not afraid of pain, or of death. Not anymore, not after having faced it so many times, over and over.  
  
I felt oddly calm, now that I had a definite end. The jugular, the under- arm or the wrists? Which ever is fastest. The jugular, I think. One arm rises and feels out the beat of life, right next to the wind-pipe. The other reaches up and the sharp edge lays against the cool skin, marking the spot.  
  
The air grows cool, as if sensing my movement.  
  
My eyes close and my heart slows to a calm beat of confidence.  
  
The hand presses and the skin breaks. I feel it tear into me, a clean cut, perfect; a surgeon with a scalpel couldn't have done better.  
  
My hand drops, suddenly heavy. My head gets light and airy. Dots swim in front of my eyes as my body automatically fights the darkness.  
  
My knees hit the ground, jarring me painfully before I even realize I've fallen.  
  
I hear a thumping sound, my heartbeat, I guess. Suddenly it speeds up as I fall from my knees the remaining space to the ground.  
  
Except I don't hit.  
  
Soft?  
  
I pry open my eyes, not having noticed them close before. The sky was there, blurry and a deep blue. Then black covers my eyes, but not the darkness that I was expecting. A pale face with deep golden jewels set in it. I force myself to focus, trying to blink away the growing dots.  
  
A voice reaches my tired ears, somehow an important one. Who's?  
  
"Kai!"  
  
Black hair, gold eyes, knows my name. Someone important. I know this.  
  
"Rei?"  
  
"Thank god, Kai who did this to you? What's going on? You're bleeding like crazy!"  
  
It takes a few seconds for the questions to sink in. I have to swallow a lot of blood to speak.  
  
"You did this. I did it because of you."  
  
"Why?! Damnnit, Kai, I never knew I hurt you enough to make you do this!"  
  
I have my answer ready, knowing I was almost gone, almost in the shadow that hung over me.  
  
"I'm gay, Rei. I've liked you for a long time and I wanted to be with you, but it's too late now. Good bye."  
  
I close my eyes again, feeling extremely exhausted. Just tired of everything. This was taking longer than I had wanted it to. My own fault, I guess.  
  
It must be raining. Funny, I didn't see any clouds.  
  
My arm won't lift to get it off my face.  
  
Now a breeze.  
  
The shadow is so close.  
  
~`~,*`~,~  
  
Ta duh!  
  
Black: ^___^ I love depression.  
  
Hopefully you got the inside meanings on a couple things in there, I tried to convey everything properly.  
  
Black: Isn't the first person so much better? I made her learn how to do it properly.  
  
This took. about 2 hours. I just typed it straight in so it took shorter than usual. On my new laptop! ^__^  
  
Back: _'  
  
SO, if you like, there will be a new chapter, if not, well.  
  
Black: There'll still be another chapter!  
  
Bye-bye!  
  
(Black: Sometimes I wonder how she can manage to be so cheerful after writing stuff like that. @_@)  
  
Clicky-clicky! 


	3. All Your Fault

Hey.  
  
Howzit going y'all?  
  
I just realized I have this rated R and I'm 14.  
  
Black: *rolls eyes* oi. What a dumb-ass. No wonder I'm here.  
  
-_-  
  
...  
  
Anyways, I don't like this chapter very much. This is version 3 aleady. Now I've gotten too lazy to write another one all over, so this is what you get! Hopfully the next chapter will be up to standards.  
  
To me reviewers:  
  
Vialana: I'm happy you caught that. I was so hoping someone would. I had fun with that chapter. I'm starting to like first person. ^__^  
  
Ryu-Blader: It seems I recognize your name. Did you used to have an account on here or something? It may just be me.  
  
Keisan: thanx for the complements, we don't see much of that, do we? Hmm... Maybe we'll start a trend!  
  
Black: cha right.  
  
-_-  
  
Porti: You are too good to us. ^___^  
  
Black: Damn right.  
  
Vampyre Neko: Thanx as well. I update fast at the start. ^_^'  
  
To Bluegirl, TokiKasurmari (whatzat mean? Curiosity.), and Kim: well, OF COURSE I'm going to continue.  
  
Black: DUH.  
  
And who knows... maybe I'll kill Kai just to piss you all off!  
  
Black: Whooo! That's my girl!  
  
^__^  
  
So, disclaim, please (I think I may have forgotten it last chapter! ^__^')  
  
Black: Red doesn't own the beyblade characters, K? Elle n'est pas le proprietaire de beyblade. Tristement. Oui? Oui.  
  
Stop showing off already. -_-'  
  
Black: ^___^  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
I shove my hand in my pockets against the chill and finger Driger absentmindedly.  
  
I love being beck here in the east. I want to go back to China again sometime. I can't get away from the team for a bit, though. Kai wants us to get in shape before slacking off again. I don't think he's ever slacked off, though. He's always beautifully in shape. Kai, beautiful? Maybe. Sometimes he acts really self-conscious, like this morning when he spent five minutes just putting on those triangles of his. I don't think he knew I was up. Sometimes I get up early just to lie in bed and watch him walk around with no one else up. You can learn a lot about someone by watching their routines they do alone.  
  
Yesterday morning he made breakfast for himself, I heard and smelt it. He brought it and ate it on the small deck outside our room. He's really quiet in the morning, not just noise, but he seemed really pensive.  
  
I wish I could share that silence with him. He doesn't trust anyone with that silence.  
  
I wonder what he wants now. The sun's disappearing behind the trees and soon it will be all the way down. It gets cold at night up here in the mountains.  
  
I speed up, wanting to meet my solemn captain as soon. He'll be pissed off that Tyson & Max didn't come, but I just found the letter when Max announced supper as ready, so they decided to risk not coming for the spaghetti and meatballs.  
  
There he is. A tall figure in the middle of the path ahead. But then... something's wrong. I can feel it in the air, the tenseness of everything. The sun disappears quickly, sending deep shadows over everything. I'm close to Kai, but he hasn't seen me yet. I wonder why; he usually is pretty perceptive.  
  
I better call to him now. The air is just tingling with this feeling I don't recognize and I want to get this over with as soon as possible.  
  
Swaying like he doesn't know which way's up. It's a scary sight. I start running for him, knowing something's wrong, but not quite what. Until I get close enough to see.  
  
All his neck is a dark red and his arms are drenched in the horrible, scary color. It's sprouting from his neck; I can see it dripping to the ground. Splatter...drip...drip... A gruesome graffiti scars the ground.  
  
Kai falls to his knees and then starts to head for the ground, head first. Falling? More like he's crumpling, from the inside out. Stop thinking like this, Kon! He's hurt!  
  
I catch him, just before he hits the ground, scooping him up in my arms. The sticky fluid starts to soak into my shirt and I try to ignore it even though it makes me shudder. His eyes are almost closed, those beautiful crimson depths threatening to leave me here, stranded.  
  
"Kai!"  
  
Please, please tell me this is a dream. Please tell me this is just a joke. Your nasty sense of humor. Please don't make my guesses right!  
  
"Rei?"  
  
His voice quickens my pulse, awakening me to the real threat: bleeding to death. I rip off a part of my shirt and bite my lip for a second before shoving the material into the wound. I feel the cloth soak up the blood hungrily and it hits my fingers. This isn't helping... I rip off a few more pieces and shove them onto the deep cut and use a long piece to tie it in place. I hesitate for a second. Will I choke him doing this? Doesn't matter. It's more dangerous to just let him bleed.  
  
"Thank god, Kai!" I gasp, my fingers shaking, unwilling to work with me when I really need to be steady.  
  
"Who did this to you? What's going on? You're bleeding like crazy!"  
  
I finally get the knot to hold and prop him up some more so I can see the full extent of the damage. Weirdly, he's not hurt anywhere else.  
  
Please say I'm wrong...I don't want to think that you did this...  
  
"You did this. I did it because of you."  
  
Me? My fault? My heart shatters to pieces. I never liked those descriptions, but it seems to be so true...  
  
"Why?! Damnnit, Kai, I never knew I hurt you enough to make you do this!"  
  
He almost manages a smirk as tears prick my eyes.  
  
"I'm gay Rei."  
  
His words make the remaints of my heart catch in my throat.  
  
"I've liked you for a long time and I wanted to be with you, but it's too late now. Good bye."  
  
The finality of his tone makes me shudder and I don't even realize the importance of his confession until a few seconds pass.  
  
He likes me? Me? After all that, he likes me? Liked me. No! I won't think like that! He doesn't have to die, he can't! I have so much to tell him...  
  
The tears finally fall from my eyes and onto his face. Once they start I can't seem to be able to stop the shuddering sobs that wrack my body to pieces.  
  
I act through a haze, as if someone else was giving my body all its instructions. I collect him and stand up. Spotting his things on the ground, I grab them and tuck them into my pocket before swinging Kai onto my back and start running for the cabin.  
  
I can hear my heart in my ears and it keeps saying the same thing to me: All-your fault. All-your fault. All-your fault. Tha-tha thump. Tha-tha thump.  
  
I'm in front of the cabin and my legs give way.  
  
"Tyson! Max!" I call, ignoring the burning in my chest and the dryness of my mouth. Kai starts slipping off my back and I turn to catch him. The blood is seeping through my makeshift bandage.  
  
"Tyson! Max!"  
  
The door opens and there are two figures standing there.  
  
"What the hell?!"  
  
Both boys come running, calling to Kenny to phone the ambulance. Hopefully it can get here soon.  
  
Tyson starts to take charge, making me feel much better. I sit in on the ground and watch numbly as Max runs inside for bandages and Kenny comes out with the cordless phone.  
  
I watch Max fumble with the long white ribbon before wordlessly taking over. I can't bear to say anything, if I do I'll say everything and then it'll all be out.  
  
I wrap Kai's neck in it as per the nurses' orders via Kenny. Soon after finishing I hear the sirens and think blankly, why do they have those on up here? There's no one to get out of the way or warn.  
  
Before I can puzzle this out I'm being pushed gently but firmly aside as the medic workers take over. Kai is placed on a big flat-bed and pushed into the back of the truck.  
  
I don't realize I'm staring until someone taps my shoulder and says as if for the thousandth time, "As the oldest here, will you come along please?"  
  
I nod and follow the person to the back and climb in. I'm gestured into a small seat among the equipment and computers. I grab Kai's hand resting near me and feel the ominous cool. I try and stay out of the way of every one and I focus on the hand I had placed within my own.  
  
Please...please...  
  
As the truck moves from the dirt onto the city's pavement I hear the voice inside my head again.  
  
Tha-tha thump. All-your fault.  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
You probably noticed the switch in views. Instead of the thinking I used for Kai's POV I made it more general. I don't want to give away too much!  
  
Black: *snicker* you still don't know if he's going to live or not!  
  
Oh, and this was written listen to my dad's Aaron Neville and Anita Baker CDs.  
  
Black: ^__^' Pathetic, no?  
  
So, I don't really like this chapter, it doesn't really have much significance to me.  
  
Black: The next chapters all mushy and crap. XP  
  
So, reviews please!  
  
Clicky clicky! 


	4. A Beginning?

Hey. New chapter!  
  
Black: No. duh.  
  
-_-  
  
SO.  
  
Yes. Reviews.  
  
To:  
  
Bloody Mary: Love scenes? Me? Of course not.  
  
Black: -_-  
  
^__^'  
  
TokiKasumari: Funny?  
  
Black: She's crazy. Like you. And me, for that matter.  
  
Ryu-Blader: I'll get around to R&R-ing one of your fics, I promise. I just have too many fics to follow right now. ^__^' You twelve? Odd...  
  
Black: I think you were that age when you got into the anime faze, Red  
  
I think you right. Ah, nostalgia...  
  
Black: *rolls eyes* Oh no...  
  
Phoenix147: Hiya! I don't know... maybe... ^__^'  
  
Black: oh stop it; you're going to make me sick.  
  
Kim: Hey hunnie! New chappie for ya.  
  
Black: you haven't updated for a long time. -_- This new chapter of yours better be substantial.  
  
Oh leave her alone. She's on a road-block.  
  
Black: She needs a Yami. Like meeeeeeeeeeee. ^__^  
  
*rolls eyes*  
  
Platinum Rei: I can never spell platinum right on the first try. I will memorize it. __' Good enough.  
  
Have fun!...  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
I'm...awake?  
  
My eyes are red that must be light. My face is warm. The Sun?  
  
Hell?  
  
Not that it really matters. Life is hell.  
  
I slowly move from my very dizzy-feeling head to my neck which is sore and has a slight burning sensation. It feels wrapped in something, but didn't I take my scarf off? Next comes my arms in the queue for my attention. Something is in my wrist. It feels like a needle.  
  
Damn. I must be alive.  
  
I move my hand tentatively and it responds, but barely. Even when I move just that much I feel the pain and the muscles protesting. Why couldn't I just die? I always end up living, healing, fighting.  
  
I can feel a sheet under me, over me. A bed. The sheets are warm, but the air is slightly chilly.  
  
I need to open my eyes...  
  
A noise? I'll wait and see. Or wait and hear. I can see later. Heh. I am picking up Tyson's bad humor.  
  
Great.  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
Why won't he let me in?  
  
"I was allowed in before," I protested.  
  
"Look, kid, we can't have you in there bothering him or waking him up. He might have a relapse."  
  
I grit my teeth against the security guard's annoying ideas. A relapse? Suicide isn't a disease!  
  
I try to duck around the large man, but he catches my arm painfully.  
  
"What are you tryin to do, get yourself kicked out? Get outta here, kid! If you were family it would be different. But you're not and don't try and tell me you are. You're Asian and the patient obviously isn't."  
  
He waved his arms at me as if to shoo me off. Yeah right. I'm not giving up that easily.  
  
"I'm practically family," I retort angrily.  
  
"Oh, yeah?" Big in Blue replies, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"He's...he's my boyfriend," I snap suddenly, and feel the heat rising to my face. Ooooh, that was stupid.  
  
Both eyebrows go up.  
  
"Really now, kid. How do I know you're not just saying that? He tried to kill himself, remember."  
  
"Please..." I plead mentally, hoping he would cave in.  
  
"Oh well," the guy says, and my shoulders slump.  
  
"I've always heard gays are a bit on the crazy side. Fine. You can go in. But if anything happens you have to tell me. You have an hour."  
  
I'm wiling to let the comment slide if it gets me to Kai.  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
Did I just hear what I thought I just heard? Rei, calling himself my boyfriend? What's happened to my life?...  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
Oi. A short chapter, ne? I wanted to put more in, but I'll wait for the next one. I'm trying to get the next chapter to my other fic done, and another one started. Plus, its Thanksgiving weekend so I'm trying to relax and that means not forcing my poor mind to work any more than necessary.  
  
Black: She's using it as an excuse to be her normal lazy self.  
  
Written to. nothing in particular. A bunch of stuff. I actually wrote the chapter, then finished the second half of Trainspotting which I was reading and then wrote this.  
  
Alrighty, I'll see ya!  
  
Clicky clicky! 


	5. Reborn

Hey all.  
  
Sorry for the short chapter before, I wasn't feeling very up to writing and had mixed ideas for the hospital scenes.  
  
Black: She's lazy.  
  
So. Probably, you reviewed the other chapter after I wrote this so apologies if you're not here. You probably aren't as this is the day after I wrote the other one. _'  
  
To:  
  
TokiKasumari: I have nothing near a clue. You are odd.  
  
Black: Be proud ^__^  
  
Luna: Thanx for the...erm...effort.  
  
Vialana: Forshadowing indeed.  
  
White: ^__^  
  
Thanx for your decent-lingth reviews. I need to know that I'm doing this right.  
  
Vixinbabe: Sorry, but 'tis not all in first-person. It gets tiering sometimes. This on is partly each.  
  
Yumai: No prob. As long as you're reading 'tis all good.  
  
Bloody Mary: Here's your explination. Kinda weak excuse, I know, but I didn't want to have them hanging around during this whole chapter for no reason. They'll show up soon enough.  
  
Phoenix147: I know gays aren't crazy, the guard is just not very well-informed. He only watches Will & Grace. _'  
  
Tyrini: Beging always works. And there is a worse chance than an ice cube in hell for me not finishing.   
  
Porti: You are too generious. Be happy! ^__^  
  
White: *glomps Porti* hiihihihhihihihihi!!!!!! ^_____^  
  
  
  
This chapter is for... well, Friday night. You two should know who you are. 'specially... well, no names.  
  
Here we go...  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
Rei stepped in the door and looked around. They had moved Kai yesterday and it had taken a lot of work to find him once he was out of the intensive care unit.   
  
The room was beige, as usual, but there were no longer the scary tubes and instruments everywhere. This was a two person room, but only one was occupied.  
  
Rei moved closer to the bed, almost scared at what he'd see. The team had been told that Kai had gotten most of his bandages off from the cut in his neck.  
  
His breath caught involuntarily in his thought when he saw Kai lying peacefully on the white sheets. His hair, down for once, fell down to his shoulders and the painted markings on his face were gone. There was a piece of gauze taped on his neck and an IV running into his arm, but other than that he looked very...  
  
Healthy? No. Innocent.  
  
Rei was almost scared to be here with Kai, alone for once. He had asked to go alone this time, coming down into town with the others while they went for groceries.  
  
He stepped closer to the bed side and looked down at Kai, musing on what had happened. He had thought Kai would be the kind of person to realize how stupid coming suicide was, but apparently not. He was faulty, just like the rest of us.  
  
Suddenly Rei sensed a flicker of movement from the bed below and looked down sharply.  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
Rei's here. In this room with me. I can feel him right next to me. So close. So far. I can't move; he'll know I was awake when he came in. I can't physically move anyways.  
  
But I don't want him to leave without knowing I'm awake. Who knows how long I've been in a coma?!   
  
  
  
And why aren't the others here? They should be. Maybe I was over-estimating their friendship. Probably.  
  
My eyes are heavy, but I really want to see him. My curse.  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
Rei looked down in time to see Kai's eyes flicker open, but then snap shut again as a hiss escaped his lips.  
  
"Kai!"   
  
Rei reached down and grabbed Kai's hand.   
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Shut the...sun..."  
  
"What?" Rei couldn't catch the words, the voice soft from disuse.  
  
Kai cleared his throat and winced as it jarred his injury.  
  
"Shut the bloody blinds." He growled, suddenly irritable in his discomfort.  
  
"Oh..." Rei sounded chastised and Kai wished it hadn't come out so harsh.  
  
Kai felt the heat on his face disappear and he opened his eyes slowly. The face above him was in shadows, but he knew who it was.  
  
"Rei," he murmured, the name flowing from his lips before he could stop it.  
  
"Kai. Welcome back."   
  
Rei sounded genuinely happy to have him talking. It made Kai feel good for a moment, but then he reminded himself of his confession and held back the smile struggling to break through.  
  
"How long have I been out?" he asked, trying to sound unconcerned. And failing. Rei caught the attempt to avoid anything personal and his heart fell. What if Kai didn't mean it? What if he never really liked Rei?   
  
Kai looked at Rei, waiting for an answer and saw the distortion on it, the confusion and pain. Then it hardened and Kai's heart fell, and bounced on the way down when it heard Rei's steely tone.  
  
"A week."  
  
Kai mused over this and then got so fed up with their silence snapped, "I meant it, you know."  
  
Rei was startled out of his train of thought by the sudden earnest words.  
  
"You...you did? I mean..."  
  
"You told Tyson Max and Kenny, right?" Kai asked, frowning at Rei's surprised face above him.  
  
"No..." the Chinese boy replied sheepishly.  
  
Kai let out a sigh and started to push himself up onto his elbows. He felt too restricted in the tight sheets.  
  
"Kai, don't! You'll hurt yourself!" Rei exclaimed and grabbed Kai's arm.  
  
The bluenette tried to shrug Rei's arm off, but in doing so he pulled the skin around his wound setting off a sharp pain. A noise escaped his lips and Rei looked at him disapprovingly.  
  
The Chinese boy sat down on the edge of the bed and with a gentleness that almost broke Kai's heart, moved his weak body into a position so he could sit up and lean on Rei's shoulder. They sat in silence for a bit until Rei finally said:  
  
"Why did you decide to do it like that? You're the one who always says never give up."  
  
"That's beyblading," grunted Kai, "Life is harder than any sport."  
  
"True, but you should have just told us. Told me. We could have helped you deal with it."  
  
"They will be disgusted with me. You're hiding it pretty well." Kai said quietly.  
  
"No they wouldn't! They value you too much as a friend to let something like that get in their way. As for me, I'm not disgusted with you."  
  
"What are you then? You obviously aren't very happy with my actions."  
  
"No, I'm not." Rei replied, moving slightly to make Kai more comfortable on his shoulder. He could feel that the boy wasn't putting his whole weight on him, for some reason. Just wasting energy.  
  
"I'm... surprised. I guess I'm flattered that I could mean so much to you to make you do this over just me. And... I want to know more about you. You hide everything so well..."  
  
"You don't need to know anything." Kai snapped and then felt angry at himself. Why do I always have to be so nasty every time anyone tries to be nice to me?  
  
"Sorry," Kai muttered.  
  
"You're sorry? For what?"  
  
"Everything," snorted Kai. "Telling you this. Even leaving that note. Pushing you away when you're just trying to help. I'm not worthy of you, even if you did want me."  
  
They both went silent after Kai's outburst. The only sound was the humming of the machines and soft voices outside the room.  
  
Rei was chewing on his lip, thinking heavily. Kai was watching steadfastly staring at the off-white wall.  
  
"Who says I don't?"  
  
"What?" Kai moved to look at the other teen, disbelief written across his face. Rei was looking down at his hands, folded on his lap.  
  
"Who says I don't want you?"  
  
Kai's heart stopped.  
  
"You mean you... you would... after everything... you like me too?"  
  
"Yes." Rei kept his face down, but Kai saw through his haze the blush heating the others face and swallowed his question. Rei wasn't doing this just for him. He meant it. Somehow, for some reason, fate was giving him a good hand. Now all he had to do is play his cards right and he was home free.  
  
"Rei... I can't believe that after all this... you really care? I mean, I liked you, but I never thought that you'd actually care back..."  
  
Rei nodded and looked up at Kai. Their eyes met and a jolt seemed to run through them. Rei felt naked after telling his crush about his feelings.   
  
Then, hearing a knock on the door, Rei realized his time was up and he had actually just spent an entire hour here. He looked at Kai and it suddenly hit him. They could be together. A couple. Both their dreams come true. He moved, careful of the tube running out of Kai's arm and faced him. Kai looked at him in apprehension, not really understanding. Then when Rei slowly moved in closer he wrapped his hands around the other's waist awkwardly and leaned into the hug.  
  
Rei squeezed Kai gently, feeling how painfully weak he was.   
  
"I have to go," he whispered, feeling Kai's light hands on his back, tentatively holding him.  
  
"Can you come back tomorrow?" Kai asked as Rei pulled away reluctantly as another knock on the door sounded.  
  
"Of course. The others will want to come once they find out you're awake."  
  
Kai grimaced and then smiled at Rei. "I don't really care anymore."  
  
Rei smiled back, but noticed the tired drawn look on his captain's face and worried that maybe he had worn him out too long.  
  
"Get some sleep and eat some," Rei ordered, "and do what the doctors and nurses say."  
  
"Yes mother." Kai said playfully when the door opened and the security guard stepped in the doorway.  
  
"Come on kid, time to go. Oh, you're awake, are you? The nurse is here to see you. Don't try anything funny."  
  
Kai scowled at him and Rei knew the wall was up again. But now he had a key in through its door and he would be back tomorrow.  
  
Things would be different. This would be a start of something new. From now on everything would change. But for the better. He had Kai now, and if he could make that work, that was all he needed.  
  
Reborn  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
Tuhduh!  
  
This is the start of the real story!  
  
White: yey!  
  
Black: You thought they were going to kiss, didn't ya? ^__^'  
  
People don't (where I come from at least) kiss the first day they start going out. That's... discusting.  
  
So, here we go! ^__^  
  
See ya!  
  
White: Clicky clicky!! 


	6. Home Again

Hey all!  
  
I can't believe how many reviews I've gotten so far! Thanks to everybody! I think of something to give you guys later. ^__^  
  
Black: As if they really need anything. They're all just h-mmmph!  
  
White: Don't insult the readers!  
  
Black: -_-'  
  
So! Chappie! I'm so sorry for taking so long, I could never figure out what I really wanted.  
  
Reviews to:  
  
Gothic-Wolf: thanks for joining the clan of readers! ^__^ I love getting reviews.  
  
White: Especially good ones!  
  
TokiKasumari: Being odd isn't a flaw! 'Tis a very good thing.  
  
Black: And she should know. Look at us. ^_^'  
  
Kim: Kai and Rei will have many bumps along the road to follow. ^___^  
  
Uminaoe*hart: Hey welcome to the story. I'd recommend reading the first ones soon. I like them better than this one!  
  
White: Of course, as long as you keep reading and reviewing we're happy!  
  
Phoenix147: I know. I was just trying to find something. He's just thinking of the crazy stereotypical gay guy. I don't know.  
  
Black: You've confused her. Good job.  
  
__'  
  
So here we go!  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
Rei sat in the taxi next to Kai.  
  
The blue-haired teen was leaning against the window and Rei knew he was keeping the side of his neck where the scar was away from him.  
  
When Rei had gone the second day after his confession the bandage was off and the stitches were taken out. He was deemed alright by the doctor in charge and after a brief and probably unfruitful conversation with a physiologist he was allowed to go home.  
  
"Are you sure you're ok?" Rei asked again and Kai looked at him witheringly.  
  
"I'm not made out of glass, Rei. I'm fine. A little out of shape, but fine."  
  
Kai knew Rei still didn't believe him so he sighed and said, "What do you want me to do? I'm a bit weak, that's it!"  
  
"Alright Kai," Rei sighed, giving up getting Kai to admit to the pain he knew was there.  
  
~`~,@|@`~,~  
  
"Kai!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
A loud explosion of noise and chaos ensued from Kai's entrance into the cabin. Newly sensitive to Kai's weakness, Rei suddenly fully appreciated Kai's stoicism. He could block out the pain and grunt through the questions and unwanted cheerfulness.  
  
The others were just done supper, but Tyson generously offered to sit down with them while they ate.  
  
"So Kai, do you have to go back to the hospital for anything later?" Max asked as Kai picked at a plate of spaghetti.  
  
"No," he answered quietly, pushing his plate away.  
  
Tyson looked crestfallen and said, "You don't like my noodles?"  
  
"No, they're good, I just don't want to eat right now," Kai said, standing up from the table.  
  
"Alright..." Tyson said, and then immediately cheered up when he realized this was the extra serving he wasn't allowed earlier.  
  
Kai sighed and allowed Rei to help him to their room.  
  
"Man, Kai's really out of it," said Max to Tyson after they were gone.  
  
"Yeah, I know. He's quieter than before. I guess he's still upset, but it looks like Kai and Rei are closer than before."  
  
Tyson stood up and dumped the empty plate in the sink to be washed tomorrow or maybe the day after.  
  
"Well, Rei was the one who found him. I guess they kind of bonded. They've always been kind of close. It's really something to share."  
  
They both went into the living room together and Tyson turned on the TV.  
  
"I don't' know, Max. It's kind of weird the way they're getting along like this. Kai usually doesn't like people helping him, but just now he let Rei help him out."  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
Well, that's it for now. I need ideas!!!!! Stupid school sucking all the creativity out of me... I'm so sorry for leaving you guys with a crappy short chapter after waiting so long, but I can't think of where I want the next chapter to go! Don't worry. It'll come to me. Eventually.  
  
Black: -_-'  
  
White: ^__^' We're sorry for not doing our jobs. *sniff* You can make us feel better and give us ideas by *gasp!* reviewing!  
  
See ya *sighz*  
  
White: Clicky clicky!!!! 


	7. Sleep Well

Hey all. Another sorry attempt at writing. *sighz* I think I'm falling off. Oh well.  
  
White: here we go! Disclaimer: Red doesn't own Beyblade and this is only for fun. ^____^  
  
Black: *pinches nose and shakes head*  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
He is just so beautiful...  
  
He radiates this cool detachedness when he sleeps. I have this urge to hug him, but I don't think he'd be very happy if I did. I hate the way we're living. It's as if we've gone back to the way we were before, except worse because I know he likes me.  
  
The urge just keeps getting stronger. I just need to touch him... It's been forever and I want him so much...  
  
I slide off the edge of the bed; my feet are cold on the hard-wood floors. I pad over to the edge of him bed and stand over him, watching him chest rise and fall under the covers. I realize that if he woke up just now I would look pretty creepy so I move over to the other side of the bed and tentatively pull back the edge of the covers. He doesn't stir.  
  
I pull it back a bit more and slide onto the mattress and under the sheets.  
  
He's a lot warmer than he acts.  
  
My hand moves on its own and finds his arm. I trace it down to his long fingers and twine them with mine. I don't dare get any closer to him; if he wakes up I'll get hell.  
  
I don't care.  
  
Moving closer, my shoulder brushes his and he makes a small noise.  
  
He rolls over to face me.  
  
Red eyes open with a blink and recognition flashes.  
  
"What are you doing?" He asked, his voice a soft whisper. My heart is pounding adrenaline through my veins.  
  
"I just wanted... to be closer to you..."  
  
His eyes soften unexpectedly and he squeezes my hand. I smile at this, heartened by the fact that he hasn't bit off my head.  
  
"Do you mind if I sleep with you?" I ask, not catching the second meaning until just after the words leave my lips. My face colors.  
  
"I...I just meant..."  
  
"I know what you meant," he says with a smile. If that's even possible, I get redder.  
  
He then looks me straight in the eyes and I get this strange feeling that he's looking through my eyes into my mind and can see everything that I'm thinking and everything I'm feeling.  
  
He knows how much I want him right now.  
  
His eyes never break contact with mine as he moves forward slowly. Only when his eyes slowly close I understand and still I can do nothing.  
  
His lips finally reach mine and I almost jump at the contact. The amazing, fantastic, blow-your-mind kiss that I had always imagined doesn't matter any more.  
  
Just the feeling of his lips is enough. A soft, gentle moment and then he pulls his head away.  
  
You know, my elders always said to enjoy the little things in life, but I never imagined something so simple could be so gratifying.  
  
I lay motionless for a while, just savoring that long needed contact.  
  
His body is still there. I can feel the heat radiating off him.  
  
"Rei?" his whisper is tentative.  
  
I smile.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Um...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."  
  
My eyes flicker open and I glare lightly at him.  
  
"Sorry? I'm only mad you didn't earlier!"  
  
That jubilant smile breaks over my face again.  
  
He smiles tentatively back and that only fuels my happiness.  
  
Kai never smiles.  
  
I wrap my arms around him on impulse and rest my cheek on his shoulder. He is tense at first and then leans into me.  
  
I'm getting tired again as the europhia wears off.  
  
"Sleep well, Rei."  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
Well, that wasn't so bad.  
  
Black: -_-'  
  
White: ^__^  
  
So, here we are! Another decent-length, good update.  
  
I decided on just a Rei perspective 'cause I feel that (a) I tend to no give him what he deserves, (b) it ruins the way I write and (c)I still am not very comfortable with the Rei POV I did on request earlier. ^__^'  
  
I wrote this to random music off Much Music.  
  
White: Clicky clicky! 


	8. Crazy

Hey all!  
  
I have no idea what I'm going to write, so we're just going to wing it!  
  
White: ^__^'  
  
Black: -_-' *sighz and shakes head* my turn to do the disclaimer, then. Blah-de-blah, Red doesn't own beyblade, nyah nyah, whatever.  
  
-_-'  
  
To Bloody Mary, I'm trying to get the characters in character (_'), but It's kinda hard to proceed as I am (not my original plan) without making some changes. I had originally given a few more chapters before Kai melts, but I needed something to put in!  
  
To Porti: Yes, I'm trying to speed things up. I actually forgot how I wanted these first chapters to go so I had to speed this up. I may have to slow down again, tho. Be prepared! ^__^'  
  
And I fully appreciate all the reviews I get, I like to know that people are reading and that people like what I'm doing. I'm just running out of room and time, so if you have a question or a particular concern I'll bring it up, but other than that I'm not going to do the individual responses any more.  
  
White: *sniff* sorries!!!  
  
Well, here we go!  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
Tyson was munching on a bowl of cereal at the kitchen table when Max appeared out of the shower. Toweling his hair dry, he slipped into a chair.  
  
"Tyson, why don't you go see if Rei's up?" Max urged, "Kai must have let him sleep in when he left this morning."  
  
"Yeah, in a minute," mumbled Tyson around a mouthful of Lucky Charms.  
  
"Come on, you know if Kai gets back before he's up we'll all get in trouble."  
  
"Fine, fine, I'm going mister bossy-pants," Tyson grumbled, pushing back from the table. He headed down the hall and knocked on the closed wooden door leading to Rei and Kai's room. Hearing no response he tested and handle and when it gave way, opened the door.  
  
He stared when he saw, not Kai's bed empty, but Rei's and the missing teen sleeping with his arms around an apparently content Kai.  
  
What on earth would possess them to sleep together? Sure Kai and Rei were closer now, but Kai still didn't let anyone touch him.  
  
A sudden thought flashed through Tyson's mind and he shook his head. They wouldn't...would they? He realized that if either one of them woke up they would kill him.  
  
Tyson quickly stepped back out and shut the door behind him quietly. He then knocked loudly on the door and yelled, "Rei? You up? Kai's out, but he might be back soon!"  
  
There was a silence behind the wood for a moment and then the sound of hurried footsteps echoed. Two pairs.  
  
"Don't come in! I'm up and I'll be out in a bit!" Rei called.  
  
Tyson let out a sigh. Two of his best friends could be gay. How was he supposed to deal with this? He knew it shouldn't be a big deal; a lot of people were openly gay nowadays. He had just never seen anything about them that really hinted at anything. And should he tell Max?  
  
This was crazy.  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
So, there you go. Not long enough, I came up with another idea, but I don't want them to go into the same chapter for order's sake. So, if you read this, chances are the other chapter's up too. So read it. ^__^'  
  
You can treat them as one if so you wish, they really should be, but I don't like to mix up scenes, so...  
  
See ya soon! 


	9. Secluded Thoughts

Hey! I'm back again!  
  
Second installment, I guess. Some more Kai POV for you addicts. ^__^ I love writing him.  
  
Disclaimer: Red doesn't own anything. ^__^ Too bad!  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
It is so peaceful here.  
  
When I asked for seclusion, I didn't really expect to get it, but here we are, in the mountains. This place is perfect.  
  
Last night was...  
  
I'm not going to think about it.  
  
I wonder what the rest of them are doing.  
  
Tyson's probably eating second or third breakfast and Max is sitting with them, even though he's not eating. Rei will eat a lot; he always does, and then goes out to sit on the porch to watch the birds.  
  
When I go back I'm going to have to train. Damn.  
  
They think all I think about is training, but some days I don't feel like it, just like them. I just force myself to do it anyways.  
  
Dranzer could use a sharpening. Her attack ring is getting worn down.  
  
After fighting Driger yesterday, though, she's a bit worn out.  
  
Rei always looks so hot when he's concentrating in a fight. I love toying with him, just to see what he'll do.  
  
Usually Tyson and Max take his side. I don't really care.  
  
I wonder what would happen if they had actually come with Rei. Would I have still told him how I felt? Would I have made it? Would they have even gotten there in time? What if Rei hadn't come at all?  
  
Too many questions.  
  
But he did, and that's what matters.  
  
This path must go way up into the mountains. It's getting steeper.  
  
If anyone saw me right now, I wonder if they could see the little party my heart is holding right now?  
  
Rei loves me.  
  
A smile sneaks onto my face again. Every time I think of what happened, it just spreads across my face and I can't help it.  
  
I kissed Rei.  
  
He didn't kiss me, I kissed him. How could I have been so crazy? Dealing with your crush in the same bed as you isn't something to do when you're tired.  
  
I wonder what he thinks.  
  
We only had a few seconds this morning when Tyson woke us up.  
  
Shit. I didn't put my triangles on. This is really screwing me up.  
  
I guess it's safe to go back now. I should have grabbed my Discman on the way out.  
  
Is this going to work out? What am I going to say to him?  
  
I guess I'm going to have to go back and face Rei sooner or later.  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
There. The second half of this chapter. And don't worry; I just wanted to add some Kai-time. We're going to keep things at about the same speed as the first few chapters.  
  
If you think Kai's being OOC at all, tell me so. I want to keep him as Kai- ish as possible 'cause as doubtful as this relationship is, Rei would fall in love with the cool, hot Kai, not some mushy ass. ^__^'  
  
So, review review review! 


	10. Locked In, Locked Out

Hey! I'm back!  
  
My muses still haven't returned, unfortunately enough. -_-;;; They are so going to get it...  
  
So, I am utterly amazed by the amount of reviews I've gotten! 77 at last count! ^_______________^  
  
And now I have a Rei plushie! *huggles plushie* Thanks Rei!! ^___^  
  
Jay Kamiya: Just so you know, this isn't supposed to be funny. I can't write humor anyways. Kai angisting isn't my idea of funny.  
  
Bloody Mary: As always I appreciate your reviews. You're pickier than everyone else (including myself). Just so you know, I had no idea what to write in that chapter. It was filler and has barely anything to do with anything. It doesn't do anything for me, so don't worry if it sucks. And thanks for making the point known. *spoiler!* I was going to make Tyson the accepting one, just on the basis of "friends are friends no matter what" anyways. ^__^  
  
Anyways I'm going to work on this chapter until it is at least four pages for you guys. *scowls at writer's block*  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own beyblade. Phooie. If I did I could pay people to come up with a jump-start idea for me. -_-;  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
Kai stepped through the door and looked around. Tyson had woken them up just a moment ago, so where was he? He moved from the door into the hallway and was suddenly grabbed by a gloved hand and pulled into the living room. When he saw who it was he snapped: "Tyson, you idiot! What are you doing?"  
  
"What are ~you~ doing?" asked Tyson meaningfully, folding his arms.  
  
"What are you talking about, Tyson?" Kai asked warily.  
  
"Kai, I saw you and Rei this morning." Tyson had a serious voice on that he hardly ever used. Kai froze. Tyson was the only one who would really confront him on anything. It just had to be him...  
  
"Saw what?"  
  
He gritted his teeth to keep from lashing out at the other teen. This was not happening...  
  
"You guys were...erm...sharing a bed," Tyson said more quietly. He was getting slightly nervous. It was obvious that he had hit a nerve, but what did that mean?  
  
Kai reacted immediately. He grabbed Tyson by the shoulders and slammed him against the wall, his feet dangling above the floor.  
  
"Who did you tell?" he hissed.  
  
"No one!" Tyson's eyes were wide and he looked scared.  
  
The full realization of what had happened hit Kai and he dropped his arms. Tyson dropped to the ground and stood there looking puzzled.  
  
"Kai?"  
  
Kai lowered his head and tried to think out a plan of action. However, all the horrible thoughts worrying around his head wouldn't let him. He turned away from Tyson and slowly moved into the back of the cabin.  
  
He walked into his bedroom in a daze and shut the door carefully, locking it. He then walked over to the bed, picked up a pillow from Rei's bed, and threw it hard against the wall.  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
"What was that?"  
  
Max and Rei were seated at the kitchen table, eating, when Max commented on the thump coming from the bedroom.  
  
Tyson came into the room looking slightly pale.  
  
"Um...Kai just came in."  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
"Kai? Are you in there? Are you alright?"  
  
I hear footsteps, and the door opens a crack. I know that if I force him, he'll just shut himself up again so I wait for an answer.  
  
"Rei..."  
  
He breaths my name as if he can't say anything else. I can see one half of his face, and just looks forlorn. His normally harsh eyes, sometimes lit up in precious moments of happiness, were clouded with hurt and confusion. Something Rei had only ever seen once before. On a frozen lake in Russia.  
  
His lowest point.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
I plead silently for an answer. He'll tell me if I give him time.  
  
Then Tyson picks a very bad time to interrupt.  
  
"Hey Kai, why don't you just come out..."  
  
"Come out? Yeah fuckin right! I don't want to see your face! You'll be snickering behind my back the whole time! Well fuck off, why don't you!"  
  
The door slams in my face and I wince.  
  
"Tysooonnn..."  
  
He knows I'm expecting answers, so when I turn to look at him he's looking sheepishly at the ground.  
  
"Yeeeessss..."  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
I'm aware that I'm talking to him very patronizingly, and that he's going to snap at me...  
  
"Don't talk to me like that! I just said..."  
  
He caught himself with a cough and I frowned.  
  
"You said...what?"  
  
"Just that..."  
  
"Yeeesss..."  
  
"I saw him..."  
  
"Yesss..."  
  
"And you..."  
  
My first warning that something is seriously wrong.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Were...erm...in bed together"  
  
I paled and stared at him and he rushed to a finish.  
  
"He was kinda upset and he stormed off so I kinda assumed that I was right."  
  
"Tyson. You know that Kai would be upset if you told him something like that."  
  
"Yeah, but I didn't be *that* upset."  
  
I sigh and give him a Look.  
  
"What? It's not like I care about something like that or anything!"  
  
"But you didn't ~tell~ him that, did you?"  
  
"No. But stop lecturing me! You're not my mother!"  
  
Tyson stomped off to the kitchen and I knew he was more affected than he acted. Tyson really cared about Kai, dispite how they kept up their rivelry. Tyson would be nothing without his friends, and he knows how to make them and keep them.  
  
Then a thought struck me and I was worried again.  
  
I hadn't told Kai that it didn't matter to me, and neither did Tyson. What was he going to do?  
  
I looked fearfully at the door, but knew it wouldn't be open for me for a while. Untill he decides to give us another chance.  
  
This was too messed up.  
  
One locked in, one locked out.  
  
Who would move first?  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
There! 5 pages!!!!  
  
About a week in the making and I actually revised this one. Something I hardly ever do after I've finished something.  
  
Thanks go out to the wonderful people at Redblade for looking at my first chapter and giving me some really good creative criticism.  
  
Review all! ^__^ 


	11. Tomorrow

Hey all!  
  
I have 90 reviews!!!! ^____________________^  
  
Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!  
  
When I get 100 I might write you guys something special...*nudgenudgehinthint*  
  
Kim: Heyhey! You haven't been around in forever! Good to see ya. ^__^ And you were kinda close to what I decided to do. ^__^  
  
Zxully: Thanks for reviewing! You seem to like my fic. ^__^' I hope this lives up to expectations. ^__^  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade. XP  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
Rei lay with his hands underneath his head, staring up at the ceiling. It was the same arch as the roof above, with thick beams holding it all up. He was trying to get to sleep by figuring a way to get up onto one of the beams by using the walls and furniture, but his mind kept going back to Kai.  
  
The droopy-eyed teen reached over the edge of the sofa and brushed the floor until he found the clock he had placed there. Pulling it up, he squinted at the glow-in-the-dark dial. 1 in the morning. He groaned softly. He had gotten ready for bed at 10, as best he could; unable, as he was, to go into his room.  
  
Suddenly he heard the noise of a door creaking open. It was startlingly loud after the quiet noises of nature that drifted in through the open window. He sat up and looked over the edge of the couch. Had someone come in? There was pretty much no one up here, but Kai usually was the one to lock the doors. He hadn't emerged from his room all day.  
  
He looked cautiously around the dark room and saw a darker shadow moving around. He slid off the couch silently before sneaking across the floor, hoping that the old floor boards wouldn't give him away. As he got closer to the figure, it was apparent that it wasn't much older than him. Frowning, he stood up from his crouch to stand behind him.  
  
"Kai?" he whispered.  
  
The figure turned and stepped closer. In the pitch dark without and outside light it had been hard to see his features, but it was indeed Kai.  
  
"Rei? What are you doing up?"  
  
Kai was holding a wet towel in his hand and Rei looked immediately down at the hand that was holding it, but he couldn't make out any marks.  
  
Relieved from his first fear, Rei now gave way to curiosity. "What are *you* doing up?"  
  
"I felt disgusting. I needed to wash my face," Kai said matter-of-factly. "Now if you'll excuse me..."  
  
He tried to brush past Rei, his manner as steely and cold as he had ever been before.  
  
"Kai..."  
  
No answer. Kai kept walking towards the bedroom again.  
  
"You can come in and sleep on your bed now. We're training in the morning so you'll need your sleep." Rei suddenly felt very tired. He felt his eyes fill with tears and he knew he was too tiered to deal with this right now. Tomorrow - when he wasn't so emotional. Then he would get Tyson and Kai to talk and he would make sure Kai knew how much he meant to him.  
  
"Rei, come on. You're going to be exhausted tomorrow."  
  
Kai sounded harsh at first, but when his voice softened Rei felt his heat lift. This would work out. It had to.  
  
He walked over to where Kai was waiting by the door irritably. He smiled through his exhaustions at the well-built teen, causing a frown of confusion cross his face.  
  
It would all be fine in the morning, he resolved. Just a bit of sleep and he would make it better. He sighed as he sunk onto his bed and curled up in the sheets. He wished he had Kai's warm body beside his, but he began drifting off soon enough to soft fantasies of his lover.  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
Kai lay on his side, facing Rei's side of the room. The lithe figure was curled up and twisted in the sheets in an attempt to stay warm. Kai had only just realized the cold a few moments ago when he aroused from his thoughts and the window was open and a cool wind was blowing through.  
  
Kai had been lost in thought for most of the day and hadn't even realized it. All the things he had gone over in his mind... he couldn't even remember.  
  
Tomorrow...maybe tomorrow would be better. He would ignore Tyson and Rei and just ignore it all. He had gone too soft, and this was how he was repaid.  
  
Tomorrow would be better.  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
Tuhduh! There. That was pretty good, I think. If short. XP  
  
Except the last little bit was rushed, but I think I can get away with it, ne? I didn't really like Kai's excuse either, but I couldn't think of anything. _'  
  
I really want your opinions 'cause I can't be *perfect*. I need to improve so feel free to CC and nitpick all you want. ^-^'  
  
Review! 


	12. Trust

Hey! I actually started this sooner than usual for me after the last chapter, but I like this part. ^__^' Well, for me the last few chapters were rather boring. -_-'  
  
Disclaimer: *scary singing voice* I don't own bey~blade. Hehehehehe...  
  
Readers: O.o!  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
It was morning and the birds were chirping so loudly, one wondered how someone could sleep through it. However, a tiered teenager's power of sleep is often underestimated.  
  
Rei was one such teenager.  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
Kai stood over the raven-haired teen and looked down sadly at him. The sleeping boy was curled in the blankets, his hair providing a sharp contrast to the white sheets it was lying on. His skin seemed to glow in the early yellow light shining through the window.  
  
A pale hand reached out slowly, almost asking for the golden eyes to open and make him stop. They didn't stir.  
  
The very tips of the fingers brushed a cheek and when there was no movement, the rest of the hand moved to cup the cheek. He marveled at the softness of the oriental skin, tracing the jaw with a finger. He was hypnotized by the texture, seeming so much more real than anything else.  
  
He slowly bent down, headless of the danger, and grew closer and closer to the beautiful face. He held his breath, wondering what would happen if Rei awoke just now. He grew closer and closer, expecting each second for those bright golden eyes to open and startle him back. When Kai's lips finally pressed against the soft skin it startled him. His eyes slid shut and he felt his stomach clinch. He wanted Rei. He wanted him ~now~. But he couldn't. Not after what had happened.  
  
Startled out of his moment of serenity by that thought, he pulled away from the comfort and warmth of Rei's body and stood up.  
  
He walked over to the door and walked through it to the kitchen. Rei smiled in his sleep, but Kai was gone too fast to see it.  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
Kai stared at Dranzer as she spinned in the dirt. 'I know I should. I know that after everything I should stick to him, but I just keep feeling that I can't let him in. It just...scares me.'  
  
'You ~must~ trust him, Kai. You have to trust your love. You *know* you love him,' the soft female voice answered earnestly.  
  
'Dranzer...It's hard...'  
  
'Since when do you give up when something gets hard?' Dranzer answered amusedly.  
  
Then all of a sudden a white blade spun in out of nowhere and slammed into Dranzer.  
  
Kai looked up quickly and saw Rei sitting in a tree branch a few feet above his head. When Rei knew he had caught Kai's attention he hopped down out of the tall old tree and settled into a fighting crouch.  
  
Kai growled a warning, but Rei just smiled and ordered Drigger to attack. Kai felt himself being pushed back by the tiger's quick and unexpected attack, but when he recovered he attacked ferociously back.  
  
"Rei, I don't want to fight you," he argued, keeping one eye on the battle and another on the boy behind the blade.  
  
"Then stop pushing me away for no reason!" Rei shot back, his pupils slitting in frustration. "Do you know how much it ~hurts~ to have you say you love me and then *decide* that just because someone finds out you can't be with me?"  
  
Kai took a step back, a look of surprise and disbelief written across his face.  
  
"Rei...I'm just trying to keep you from getting hurt..." Kai got the broken sentence out just before Dranzer was slammed backwards.  
  
"You can't help me by doing this to me!" Rei yelled, "I can take care of myself and you could ~never~ hurt me if you didn't mean to! And you don't even realize how much you can make people hurt when you *do* mean to! I know you mean well, but you can't just keep doing this!"  
  
Kai could see the tears gathering in Rei's eyes and he so wanted to just say he was sorry, but it wasn't that simple...  
  
Dranzer's cry of pain was what awoke him from his angst-ridden dreamscape and he looked up sharply in time to see the blue blade go flying into a tree and stop spinning.  
  
Something else he had screwed up in his life. Even after learning to be friends with Dranzer, he had never really taken her seriously, like a real person with a life too.  
  
"I'm sorry," he whispered.  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
Kai looks so...downtrodden. It's as if he never even realized what he was doing. I call Drigger back to me and catch him in my hand. It was hardly even a battle. I had startled him so much he had never even tried to beat me. I think I got my point across, but at what cost? And what would he do now?  
  
I see his lips move, but I cannot hear what he said. He's staring at the ground and I'm slightly scared he's gone away again.  
  
I feel the need to comfort him. Now that the anger is gone, I don't want to see him so hurt. I place my blade in my pocket and walk over slowly to where he is still standing.  
  
I realize that I feel like I'm approaching a wounded animal, and I am. He's standing right in front of me and he looks, but his eyes don't see me. They are blank, dead; with none of the usual emotions I find in his dark depths.  
  
"I'm sorry," he whispers. I can hardly hear him; it seems to be too much effort for him to climb out of his darkness to talk properly.  
  
I should tell him how I feel now, but I don't know how to without hurting his already broken feelings.  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
Rei reached out a hand to touch Kai, but he looked at him sharply. The Chinese boy ignored it and slid a hand around Kai's waist.  
  
"I don't care about anyone finding out. Do you, really?"  
  
Kai looked at Rei and mouthed the word "no".  
  
"Then we have no reason to be hiding, than do we?" Kai hesitated for a second, eyes still focused on Rei. He let out a long sigh and pulled closer to Rei.  
  
"Fine, we'll tell them."  
  
"Good," Rei whispered, holding Kai close.  
  
"It's just...I was afraid...that you would hurt me somehow."  
  
Rei looked at his partner in astonishment.  
  
"Kai...I don't care if you say you hate me, but never *ever* tell me you're scared of me!"  
  
Kai looked slightly shocked and then did an astonishing thing: laughed.  
  
"Rei...I could never hate you, and I promise I will never be scared of you, from now on. I'm sorry for hurting you like this; I was being stupid and selfish."  
  
He then grabbed Rei in a tight hug as the raven-haired teen grinned.  
  
This would turn out fine. Maybe a little odd, but fine.  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
So there! I hope you enjoyed that. I tried to take into consideration all of your opinions, and especially yours, Kim, but unfortunately if I followed you completely it would look like I was copying a friend of mine's fic (*PLUG!* Read some of Porticullis' stuff). I was getting bored with hearing myself talk to you guys, so I'm going to introduce some old OC's of mine. They've been around forever, and haven't been doing much lately, so I enlisted them in the recent loss of my muses. -_-'  
  
*snaps fingers and a girl and guy appear*  
  
Guy: I was wondering when you were going to do that. Do you realize how disorienting that is?  
  
Girl: You realize I was *doing* something before you called me?  
  
Bah. So this is Jostlin and Nik. Nik=Girl and Jostlin=Guy  
  
Nik: -_-  
  
Jostlin: Hey...  
  
So, review...yeah!  
  
Nik: -_-; This. Is. Hell. 


	13. Speak Up

Hey all! I'm glad you all enjoyed that. I wasn't so sure about the fight scene. I can't write the things. _;;  
  
Nik: You idiot pacifist. You're not going to get anywhere in life being nice to everyone.  
  
Jostlin: She could. Just because you don't like being nice...  
  
Nik: -_-  
  
Jostlin: .....ok, so there's some reviews here she wanted us to answer, I think......  
  
Nik: Screw the reviews. Can we get on with this?  
  
Jostlin: No.  
  
Nik: Yes. Red doesn't own beyblade. Let's go!  
  
Jostlin: -_-;;  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
"We're gay."  
  
The words seemed to hang in the air thick with tenseness.  
  
Rei had opted to say it, knowing it would be easier in the end. Kai had already tried once and if they got an unfavorable response he wanted to be in charge.  
  
He looked back to the three teens sitting in front of them. Tyson had a small smirk on his face, Max was just staring and Kenny looked as though he was going to explode. Not the best reaction he could have imagined, but not the worst either.  
  
"How could you?!" Rei was right in thinking that Kenny would be the first to speak. Or yell.  
  
"It was really rather hard at some points and easier in others," Kai said with a smirk. Rei smiled, glancing at him.  
  
Kenny spluttered. "You two can't...be together! It's not...right!"  
  
Tyson spoke up in his friends' defense. "Chief, they're still Kai and Rei. It doesn't make any difference."  
  
Max nodded, recovering from his brief lapse of speech. "I guess I'm happy that you guys decided to get together if you really like each other."  
  
Rei squeezed Kai's hand with a smile. They had come in together like that and hadn't let go yet. Kai had been pretty tense at first, crushing Rei's fingers in an iron grip, but now he was much more relaxed and in one of his 'slightly-more-cheerful-than-normal' moods.  
  
"Who knows how long you guys could have been sneaking looks at us! We've all seen each other naked before!"  
  
"Kenny, I assure you I have no reason whatsoever to look at any of you when you're naked."  
  
Tyson sniggered: "Yeah, that's because you're too busy looking at Rei!"  
  
Rei grinned at looked over at Kai. His cheeks were slightly colored, but he wasn't looking like he was going to kill Tyson, which was good.  
  
However, Kenny wasn't going to give up that easily. "So how long have you guys been jerking off to each other? It mustn't have been too sudden if you only decided to tell us now." Rei wrinkled up his nose in disgust and Kai looked like he was on the point of laughing.  
  
"Kenny," he said, with a chuckle, "Even if I *did*, I wouldn't be telling you, now would I?"  
  
"I know I don't want to know," Max said, laughing.  
  
Kenny gave a weak smile when Tyson clapped him on the shoulder, but Rei could see he was sill not very happy with the idea. Oh well. Tyson and Max didn't really mind and if they were ok with it then they were good.  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
Kai sat at the table in the kitchen with a cup of tea Rei had pushed on him. He watched at the steam wafted up from the top to the ceiling, apparently defying gravity and getting away with it easily. There was a soft clunk as another heavy mug was set on the table and the scraping of a chair being pulled back along the floorboards.  
  
"So that wasn't so bad."  
  
"No, not really," Kai admitted.  
  
"I hate to say it, but..."  
  
"Yes, I know, you told me so."  
  
Kai slowly looked up from his tea and looked at his lover through his hair.  
  
"I'm glad everything's finally under control," he said softly.  
  
"Yeah, me too," Rei agreed.  
  
All of a sudden, Kai felt lightheaded. He set down the mug for a second and the feeling passed. However, it also left behind a tall black-haired woman standing in their kitchen. Kai stood up sharply and Rei twisted around in his chair.  
  
The woman was nonchalantly picking an ebony feather off her similarly colored long dress. "It must have come from the large wings sprouting from her back," Rei thought, without really realizing what he was seeing.  
  
By the time Rei got a hold on what was going on Kai had walked around the round table in a daze, staring at her. "Raven?" he whispered finally.  
  
"Hey baby," she murmured softly, her voice almost apologetic.  
  
Rei was surprised to see Kai dash forward and fling his arms around the woman's waist.  
  
"You left," he stated, desperately holding back childish tears.  
  
"I know," she murmured. "I'm sorry. You know what I did for you when you were little? Well, turns out I'm not allowed to do that. So I got suspended."  
  
"How could you not be around for half my life?!" he yelled at her. She flinched from the barbed words that flew in her face.  
  
"Do you realize what kind of hell I had to go through with my grandfather after you were gone?!"  
  
"Kai, I couldn't..." Raven tried to interrupt, but was cut off again.  
  
"And then I was alone! How could you sit back and let that happen to me?! What kind of a guardian angel are you?!"  
  
That cleared up a tad of the haze Rei was currently wandering in.  
  
"Kai, I'm sorry, but I couldn't do anything about it!" Raven grabbed Kai by the shoulders. He was shaking, but Rei couldn't see if he was crying or not. "I didn't want to leave you with them, but I had no choice. You know that." She looked dejectedly at her young charge, hoping for some sort of encouragement.  
  
"I know," he whispered.  
  
Raven pulled him into a tight hug and he surprised Rei by sighing and relaxing into it. He felt a twinge of jealousy and had to remind himself that they had known each other since Kai was young.  
  
"Um...Kai?" he asked carefully, not wanting to interrupt anything.  
  
Kai pulled back from his hug and turned to look at him. He didn't know how to break his new relationship with his old friend, wanting her acceptance.  
  
"Um, Rei this is Raven, Raven this is Rei..."  
  
"Yes, I know hunny. I'm very proud of you."  
  
Kai looked at Rei and then Raven with a smile. Rei collected himself and stood up, holding out a hand.  
  
"Hi!" he said, smiling.  
  
"Hey kiddo. So you and my Kai are together now? Great!" she enthused, taking his hand in a light grip. "You know I think I'm supposed to be taking care of you too now."  
  
Rei was surprised to hear that.  
  
"I'm supposed to have a guardian angel too?"  
  
"Mmmhmmm," she commented, releasing his hand and straightening her dress.  
  
"Everyone's supposed to have one, they're just supposed to be much more discreet than me. That's why I got suspended."  
  
"How does that work?" Kai ask curiously.  
  
"Oh, well the counsel found out about my visits to you and then when you stole Black Dranzer that put you in mortal danger so I got in trouble." She snickered evilly, reminding Rei distinctly of Kai. "You would have loved to see the look on the head's face when he found out what happened."  
  
"Do you want some chocolate? I think I have some hidden from Tyson around here," Kai said turning to the cupboard.  
  
Rei was surprised at Kai's hospitality. He wasn't usually this helpful when people were around. He must really care about her.  
  
"No thanks hun." She tossed her hair over her shoulder and shook her wings out. "As much as I love it, I have to go if I don't want to get in trouble again. See you around some time. Well, I'll be seeing you, but you won't be seeing me. Love you..."  
  
She folded her wings around her and then the dark feathers seemed to collapse and disappear until nothing was left except a single black feather lying on the wooden floor. Kai sighed and bent down, picking it up gently.  
  
"Love you," he murmured.  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
Gah! I hope that was long enough for you.  
  
Jostin: Sorry it took so long.  
  
Nik: Well, we're not really sorry 'cause if we wrote it any shorter you'd hate us. ^-^  
  
Jostlin: You love to see the brighter side of everything don't you. -_-;  
  
It's snowing outside!!! ^____^ I'm soooo happy we finally have snow!!!  
  
Nik: She's procrastinating again...  
  
Jostlin: yup.  
  
As to reviews I'd really like it if you could find specifics as to what you like and don't like. It's so much more helpful when trying to improve.  
  
Nik: Yeah. So no more GFRM (good fic rite more) reviews.  
  
Jostin: But we still want somebody to review, Nik!  
  
Nik: Fine, Red can continue her ego-bloating, but we want more useful reviews so I can make her work!!!  
  
-_-; Yes, well about the thing I promised you, I want to work on it some more, but if you want to see an early version, go to redblade.org and it should be under fanfiction. ^__^  
  
Nik: She just said that to get people to go there. ^_^;  
  
Jostlin: *sighs and shakes head*  
  
It's time to go, I think, so review review review!!! 


	14. Home and Work

I apologize muchly for the dry spell. ^^; I've lost my muses yet again. -_- ; *mutters about training fees*  
  
Lone Phoenix: Okie, from what I can gather from your review you don't get what's going on. That's ok, It's probably the way I wrote it. Read the summery below, I made it pretty basic.  
  
Bloody Mary: yes, I am hoping for Raven to have meaning in this, but her important plotline (Raven: what important plot line? Red: umm.*shifty eyes*) won't be for a while.  
  
Vixenbabe: Yup, I'll put more of her in soon. You're right, that was rather inadequate compared to how much description I usually put into my characters.  
  
Last chapter:  
  
Rei finds out Kai has a guardian angel (Raven) who has been with him from birth. Guardian Angels aren't supposed to show themselves to their charges (Kai), but she did. She also got in trouble when Kai was put in mortal danger by the "Black Dranzer incident" of his childhood. So she got suspended from Kai and was only now able to (breaking the rules again) visit him.  
  
Now:  
  
We're skipping a few (a lot) of years. Otherwise it would be insufferably boring and long. And you wouldn't read it. ^^;  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, natch.  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
A harsh screeching ripped through a certain neko-jin's tender ears and his eyes flickered open. He glared at the digital clock producing the offending noise and pondered exerting the energy to turn it off.  
  
A hand slowly lowered and hit the snooze button firmly.  
  
Rei smiled lazily and looked up, rolling over onto his back.  
  
"'Morning," he purred, the Cheshire grin spreading further on his face.  
  
The garnet eyes roamed over the body stretched luxuriantly over the messed bed. He was very aware of his partner's state of undress under the thin bed sheet.  
  
Leaning down he caught a finger under Rei's chin and pulled him up into a soft morning-kiss.  
  
"I've got a meeting in half an hour, so I have to go now," Kai murmured when they parted.  
  
Rei saw the apology in his eyes and didn't bother saying anything but: "alright"  
  
"I made you breakfast. It's on the stove. I'll be back at about 3 or so."  
  
Rei pouted playfully, but then nodded. He knew Kai had to work and he knew how important his work was to him. Though he could probably be selfish and ask him to stay and he would, but he also knew then Kai wouldn't be happy. So Kai spent his weekdays and weekends working at the board and Rei cherished the time they kept for themselves all that much more.  
  
Like last night.  
  
The grin returned as Kai stepped out the bedroom door and Rei heard a few sounds and the front door shut. He sat up with a groan and looked around the room. It was a bit disheveled; he would probably end up cleaning it later.  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
Rei munched scrambled eggs over a large textbook. He hissed in annoyance at the piece of egg that fell on the page he was trying to read.  
  
He hated having to multi-task this kind of thing, but he needed to get as much done now as possible. He scribbled something else on the spiral notebook in front of him and shoved the big book onto the table beside his empty plate.  
  
He stood up and carried his dirty dishes over to the sink and started the running water.  
  
Kai would be in one of those big conference rooms right now, seated at the top of the table. He would have that big briefcase he had bought for himself beside him and all those papers he had been working on yesterday.  
  
Rei smiled as he scrubbed the pan Kai had left in the sink for later.  
  
Kai had been the logical first choice by the BBA to take over the rehabilitation of BIOVOLT into a respectable company, along with taking care of it's many off-shoots and investments.  
  
Kai himself had been quick to agree and now he was kept working running the entire operation.  
  
Rei rinsed his hands and placed the plate on the counter beside the sink to dry.  
  
He, on the other hand, was just another university student with notes to take.  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
Rei had just tossed the last pillow onto the bed after re-making it when he felt the oh-so-familiar hands of his lover sliding up his waist.  
  
He twisted in their grasp and faced the silent assassin.  
  
"Where were you an hour ago?" he complained, as he desperately tried to hold the frown on his face.  
  
"Sorry, meeting ran late, had to talk to a few people," Kai murmured, leaning forward to place a kiss on Rei's cheek.  
  
Rei tried very hard to keep his face serious as he protested against Kai's advances, but he soon broke down.  
  
"Mmmmm..." he purred, his hands finding the buttons on Kai's shirt. "Aren't you ever content?"  
  
"Not where you're concerned."  
  
Rei could feel Kai's smirk against his skin and shivered. It would be another long night...  
  
~`~,*|*`~,~  
  
I guess that's it ^-^; so sorry for the short chapter. I definitely know what the next chapter will be so we'll get that done soon. *shifty eyes* yeeeessss... 


	15. New Friend

Ehehehehehhhh…

*Red hides behind door*

Late, ne?

*winces as angry readers start complaining*

Yes, yes, I know!! I tried, I did! Now I'm going to force myself to write so you better be happy!

Bloody Mary: Sorry about the capitals, I guess ff.net must have screwed them up after I uploaded. Got to keep an eye on that stupid system _;

Artemis: nope, no lemons from me ^^; *mutters* cha right…me, lemon? And Rei's taking notes from a textbook.

Anyways, disclaimer…

I don't own beyblade. OCs are mineminemineminemine. :P

~`~,*|*`~,~

Kai was seated with the newspaper in front of him when the telephone wrung.  He groaned and stood up quickly, catching it before it woke his partner.

"Yes?"

He frowned as a bubbly voice came over the speaker.

"Hello Kai, its Mariah.  How are you?"

Kai said something noncommittal and continued: "So, if you're looking for Rei, he's still asleep and I don't want to wake him."

He didn't particularly like his boyfriend's childhood friend.

"No, actually, I was looking for you."

That raised an eyebrow from Kai.

"What's up?"

Kai sat back down at the table and pulled the newspaper open again.

"I know you've been helping with the orphanages from the Abby and I was wondering if you could come out and help me."  
Kai shut the paper again and looked up as Rei walked in.

"You know I'm not a kid person, Mariah."

Rei yawned and pulled open the fridge.

"But Kai!" she complained. "This girl, she's had a hard time.  We can't get her to talk to anyone or let anyone touch her.  The authorities say she was probably abused."

Kai sighed and rubbed his hands over his eyes.

Rei looked at him and sat down, mouthing "what's up?"

Kai muttered "just a sec" to the woman on the other end and covered the mouthpiece.

Rei looked at him quizzically as he sipped a cup of slightly cold coffee.  

"Mariah wants me to come into the orphanage and talk to some little girl," Kai sighed, looking at his lover imploringly.

"So?" Rei asked.  He had no misconceptions about Kai and Mariah's relationship.

"Well... apparently this girl's been abused.  She sounds hurt and…"

"and you can't stand that," Rei finished, a small smile twitching up the corner of his lips.

"Indeed," Kai sighed, pulling the phone back to his ear.

"When can I come down?"

~~

Rei and Kai stepped into the large building and looked around.  They were immediately picked up by the pink-haired and lead to a side room off the main entrance way.

"I'm so glad you came!" she chirped, a large grin plastered on her face.  

Kai resisted the urge to wince.

"So, what's she like?" Rei asked, playing mediator between the two.

"Well," Mariah started, ushering the two to follow her out another door.  "she's rather introverted.  She will play with some of the children in the playroom, but as soon as an adult approaches her, she runs off.  She's becoming hard to deal with because she won't talk about her past either, even though we know some about it."

The reached a room with windows on the side, looking out onto a play-room filled with toys and little children.

"One-sided window?" Kai asked, laying a palm on the glass.

"Yes, of course," Mariah answered, irritated that he figured it out so quickly.

Rei's lips twitched, but he held himself back as Mariah pointed out a little girl sitting in a corner by herself.  

"That's Claire," she said quietly.

"Does that door lead into there?" Kai asked nonchalantly, nodding towards another door, painted white, in the wall.

Mariah said yes without turning, and exclaimed when she saw him through the window, looking very misplaced in his dark clothing.

Mariah growled angrily and spun around to face Rei.  Her pupils were constricted and she looked frustrated.  Rei smothered the laughter struggling to get out of his mouth and watched as Mariah hissed at him and then turned to watch the proceedings.

~~

Kai stepped around several toys and messes in the making before reaching the unsuspecting child.  She looked up at him when he crouched down beside her and made a small noise.  Her large blue eyes looked up at him fearfully and glanced around like a caged animal.  Kai realized he had blocked her into a corner and backed up a little bit.

"Hello," he murmured, sitting down with a groan on the carpeted floor.

"Hi," Claire replied, her quiet voice almost inaudible under the noise created by the other children.  She had a worn teddy bear hugged against her chest.

"My name's Kai," he said, when the little girl didn't seem to be willing to speak any more.

"I'm Claire," she whispered, looking him straight in the eyes for the first time.

Kai smiled slightly and she gave him a shy smile in return.

"So, do you know why you're here, Claire?" he asked tentatively.

The smile vanished as though he had flipped a switch.  He watched her carefully as she fiddled with her teddy bear, avoiding the question.  He didn't push it, but she answered just as Kai opened his mouth to say something else.

"Because my daddy was a bad man and he hurt me."

"Really?" Kai asked settling himself cross-legged.  "My grandfather hurt me too.  When I was little like you."

"Really?" she answered, her eyes lifting up to his again.  "Do you still hurt?" 

Kai was startled by such a deep question from such a little child and thought it over.

"He changed my life, that's for sure," Kai said.  "I sometimes still hurt, but now it's mostly better."

The girl nodded in understanding, surprising Kai yet again.

"Do you still have bad dreams?" she asked, breaking eye contact again.

"Sometimes…" he murmured, chafing his hands together.  She looked up at him, a sympathetic look in her eyes.  Kai smiled at her early wisdom.  "But I have someone who holds me now when I sleep and I don't get them much any more."

Claire looked interested.

"Who?"

Kai wondered how to answer her, and decided on the simple truth.

"My…boyfriend."

"Can I have a boyfriend?" Claire asked quickly.

Kai chuckled. "I'm afraid you're a little too young, Claire.  Maybe when you get older you'll find someone."

The little girl's bottom lip stuck out in a pout.

"Who's going to keep my bad dreams away then?"

"The people who work here are really nice; they can keep the bad dreams away for you."

"So people have to be nice to make the bad dreams go away?" Claire rationalized.

"Yes," Kai stated with a smile.  Hearing his name being called above the noise, he twisted and looked over the many heads.  Mariah and Rei were standing in another main door and ushering for him to come out.  The blue-haired man stood up and stretched, making his new-found friend giggle.

"I have to go now," he said seriously, straightening his jacket.  Claire's face winkled up and Kai rushed to finish before she started crying.  "I'll come and visit you soon, though."  He held out a hand in front of her and she looked at it in surprise.  "I promise."

Claire grinned and took his hand.  They shook on it and then Kai pushed his way back out of the child-infested play-room to the silver and grey world outside.

Rei smiled at the relaxed feeling Kai was radiating. 

"So I guess it went well?"

"Yes, it did.  She's a really nice kid, but she's scared," Kai replied, following Mariah to the exit.

"We gathered that," she said scathingly, pink hair swinging.

"She has nightmares," Kai snapped back.  "She needs someone she can trust to keep them from her."

Mariah spun around as they reached the door and said, "So you're implying that she can't trust me?"

"Exactly," Kai growled back.  "You have no idea what she's been through. All the well-wishes in the world will not replace that.  You need to find someone who's dealt with this sort of thing before."

"I can imagine the pain…"

Kai cut her off.  "No, you can't.  Have you ever…"

"Kai…" Rei murmured, catching his lover's arm.  Kai sighed and stopped.  Giving a final glare at the pink-haired woman, he walked out the doors into the crowd on the side-walk outside.

"Are you ok?" Rei asked as they walked along to where Kai had parked the car.

"I'm…a little upset.  It was her _father_, Rei.  Even I can't imagine what that would feel like."

Rei sighed and slipped into the passenger's seat.

"There are some things I'll never be able to connect with you on.  I think this is one of them."

"You're right.  But I'm going to go back and see her again soon.  Make sure she's alright."

"Alright," he answered and then quipped: "I'm sure Mariah will be thrilled."

~`~,*|*`~,~

hey, wouldjalookatthat? I actually got all that written!  A pretty good chunk of a chapter, wouldn't you think?  Took long enough, yes yes I know.  We'll try and get the next chapter done a little bit faster. ^^;  So please review, it's always nice to know what I'm doing/not doing well. ^^ CC is always welcome.


	16. Safe

Hullo all.  I know I'm taking forever on the whole "update" thing.  I'm not really working on this any more.  But then again, if you wanted to know what's going on, I tend to update my profile with whatever I'm planning in this head o' mine.

Well, it seems you've all anticipated the plot in one way or another, but whatever.  I might as well write it down.

Immense Thank You to the people who reviewed and made me get up off my lazy ass and try and write more of this.  That would be…

Shaka Dragomir Nocturnus (hihi! So glad you like it! Refreshing to have a guy around.  A straight one, even! ^^), MrsHiwatari, Kaiiko-chan (and I've got the pair of you!), artemis347 (you almost forgot about me ?! Waaiiii~!), SoulSister (thanks for sticking around ^^), Kim (just kidding? Too late! ^^), Bloody Mary (we're keeping it in the US, but thanks for the heads up), and Jay Kamiya (you're still here?! Jk darling. ^^).

Disclaimer: Red doesn't own beyblade. Rei doesn't own any of the characters you may recognize within this fanfic excepting Claire who is Red's only.

~~

Rei snuggled up against Kai and the blue-haired man wrapped an arm around his shoulders.  Rei let out a contented purr and his eyes drifted shut.

"Would you like to go to bed now, love?" Kai murmured, burying his face into Rei's loose hair.

"Are you sure? I thought you were watching this movie?" Rei punctuated this with a yawn.

Kai slipped a kiss on Rei's cheek.  "You can go to sleep if you'd like.  I'll be ready in about half an hour."

"I don't like going to bed alone," Rei murmured, a small smile gracing his lips as his 

"You're spoiled," Kai muttered, but turned off the television.  Rei was about to stand up, but the phone wrung and Kai pushed him back down and stood up himself.  

"I'll get the phone; you go ahead and get ready for bed."

"Fine, fine."

Rei wandered off into the bedroom, but was called back by Kai's sudden voice.

"Rei, something's happened to Claire.  Mariah's on the phone."

"What?"

Rei woke up immediately and re-entered the front room.

"Claris has gone missing.  One of the workers thinks they saw her go out with a man."

"Her father?"

Kai looked forlornly at Rei.  "I can't let her go back to him."

Rei's lips parted slightly as he looked into Kai's eyes.  A pain, long hidden, was showing up again, through this girl.

"Let me talk to Mariah," Rei sighed.

~~

The pair arrived at the orphanage and a ruffled-looking Mariah met them in front of the doors.

"Oh, thank god you came.  We called the police but I don't think they're going to do anything soon.  I need you to go find her for me, please!" the pink-haired woman pleaded.  

She shivered and pulled her coat tighter around her.  It was getting colder outside and the wind was picking up.  It had been cloudy all day and it seemed at last the clouds were almost ready to release their burdens of snow.

"Do you know where this guy lives?" Kai asked harshly.

"Yes," Mariah murmured, glancing at him uneasily.  "That's one of the few things I got out of the police."

"Good. Get in the car."

Mariah glanced at her childhood friend uneasily and he nodded at her.  

She sighed, but took his example and slid into the back seat of the black car.  Kai started the engine and reached over his shoulder into the back.  Mariah stared at his open hand for a few moments before Kai grunted: "Do you have the address or not?"

"Oh!" she pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and placed it in the pale hand.  The fingers folded around it and the hand withdrew.

Kai glanced down at it from the road and back again.

"I know where this is," he grunted and then fell silent.

Rei sighed softly, knowing that Kai had gone into "Cold Bastard" mode.  The crimson eyes were glaring down the street and the asphalt was giving way before him.

~~

Kai slowed down when they reached the street of the address marked on the paper.

"I don't want you to come in," Kai said quietly.

"Which one of us?" Rei asked, his voice hushing for no reason.

"Neither of you," Kai said brusquely, opening the door.

"Kai!" both of them complained at once.

"He could be dangerous," Kai said steadily.

"She's under my care!" Mariah exclaimed angrily, opening the door and stepping out beside Kai on the sidewalk.  She glared him down, her warrior blood boiling with anger at the men screwing around with this child.  How dare he deny her the ability to go help this poor little girl?

"This man is probably dangerous.  He could hurt you." Kai said calmly.

"Well, what about me?" Rei protested; waiting until a battered car passed before stepping out and walking around the car to stand in front of his lover.

"I'm just as healthy of you!  Kai, you're just being overprotective.  We care about what happens to her too."

Kai sighed, outnumbered.  He felt oddly like he was back living with the Bladebreakers.  "Fine, come on then."

~~

Metal under the carpeted stairs clanged faintly as the trio stepped quickly up them.  They soon found the number on the paper and Kai knocked on the door.

They stood in silence, waiting.  There was a sound of footsteps and the door opened a crack.

"Whatdya want?" a rough voice growled.

"Where's…" Mariah got out furiously before Kai shoved the door with his shoulder, knocking the man behind it back a few steps.

"What do you think you're doin?" the man exclaimed angrily.  With this glimpse into the apartment, Mariah spotted a flash of golden hair and exclaimed: "Kai, she's in there!"

Kai pushed the door open and Mariah dashed in behind him, with Rei behind.  The rooms reeked of beer and dirty clothes.  Claire was seated in a corner, clutching a teddy bear to her chest.  She was dirty and unkempt, even though she had only been missing for about half a day.  Mariah dashed over and scooped up the child, holder her to her chest protectively.

"Hey!" the man exclaimed angrily.  "That's my kid!  You can't take her away from me!"

"She's not yours any more," Rei growled, stepping between the two.  His eyes slitted dangerously.  

"Oh yeah, pretty boy?"

"Mariah, just go out to the car with her," Kai said over his shoulder.  "Teddy!" Claire exclaimed, reaching over Mariah's shoulder for the discarded toy.  However, that's when Claire's father decided he had had enough and threw the first punch.  It hit Rei on the cheek, but wasn't strong enough to knock the 'blader down.  Mariah dashed back and scooped up the bear before quickly stepping over to stand behind Kai.  Rei punched back, catching the slow man in the gut.  

When he was sure Mariah was out and away, Kai stood in the door and called to Rei: "Come on, Rei!  Let's get out of here."

Rei gave a final glare at the winded man before jogging out of the room and following Kai down the hallway.  When they got out of the building and saw that Mariah was with Claire in the back seat Kai turned to Rei and examined the bruise that was already starting to form on the Chinese man's cheek.

Kai sighed and gently reached up to touch it, causing Rei to flinch away.  Kai caught himself and walked away, sliding into the driver's seat.  Rei walked around the car and got into the passenger seat beside Kai.

"Let's get home already," he said.

~~

Kai stood in the kitchen with Rei while Mariah tried to clean Claire in the bathroom.  Rei was holding a cold pack to his cheek while Kai sipped a coffee nervously.

"Thank you for not stepping in," Rei sighed finally, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"What do you mean?" Kai asked, startled out of his ravine.

"I mean, thank you for not getting into that fight and being all over-protective," Rei replied, keeping his eyes down onto the table.

"Well, you can take care of yourself, right?" Kai answered, stepping behind Rei and setting down his mug on the table before hanging his arms around Rei's neck.

"Of course," Rei purred, looking up at him with a smile.

They were in the middle of a gentle kiss when Mariah stalked out of the bathroom, in a worse mood then before.

They separated quickly and Kai looked nonchalantly at the woman.  "So how is she?"

"Well, I got her cleaned up, most of her, and it doesn't look like the father had time to…_violate…_ her before we got there; although she did start crying when I tried to touch her upper legs."

Kai sighed and looked at Rei.  "I don't think she should go back to the orphanage tonight.  She can stay here."  Rei stood up, backing his lover, and nodded.

"I don't think so…" Mariah said, chewing her bottom lip.  "I mean, you're both men and I don't think…"

"I understand her, Mariah," Kai said quietly.  

"I know you're right," she sighed, "but I don't like the idea of leaving her alone here."

"You don't trust us?" Rei asked, raising an eyebrow with a smile.

"Yes, I do it's just…"

Rei walked up to her and embraced her quickly.  "Don't worry about it," Rei said quietly.  "She'll be safe here.  If the father decides to follow us, the first place he'd go is back to the orphanage.  You should go back there and make sure he's arrested as soon as he shows up."

"You're right," Mariah sighed and stepped towards the door, pulling on her coat.  

"Come by tomorrow," Kai offered as Rei placed a quick kiss on his friend's cheek before she left.

"I will," she said definitively as she stepped out the door and pulled it shut behind her.

~~

When Kai stepped into the bathroom Claire was seated on the closed toilet, dressed in a shirt of Rei's.  It was extremely large on her and made her look that much more fragile.  She was silently hugging her teddy bear and looked up fearfully when Kai entered the small room.  When she saw who it was she hopped down off the seat and ran to catch Kai's legs in her embrace.

"Kai-kai, I don't know what's going on… Why can't I stay with my daddy?  Why am I here with you?"

Kai sighed and bent down, catching the girl in his arms gently.  

"Claire, what your father was doing to you…he's not allowed to do that.  We took you away from your father because we thought he was going to hurt you.  You're safe here."

The girl whimpered and threaded her arms around Kai's neck.  "I'm sleepy," she whispered in his ear.  "But if I go to sleep then the bad dreams will come…"

Kai stood up, lifting the petite form with him.  "Don't worry, I'll protect you…"

Kai carried Claire gently into his bedroom and lied her down on the bed.  Claire, however, wouldn't let go of Kai's arm.  "Stay with me?" she pleaded, her blue eyes sparkling with tears.  Touched by her trust in him, Kai relented.  "In just a moment, 'k?  I'll be right back."

"Ok," she murmured, curling up under the sheets.

Kai stepped out of the room and almost banged into Rei.

"I'll sleep on the couch," he said with a smile.

"Rei…" Kai sighed as he turned back into the TV room.  When he turned around again, Kai said quietly: "Thank you."

"Just take care of her, Kai" he replied before carefully pulling his shirt over his head and grabbing a blanket off the back of the couch.

Kai smiled, watching his lover curl up, and turned back into the room where his little charge was waiting for him.

"Alright Claire, time for bed" he murmured.

~~

Yey! I actually got an entire chapter done before leaving! ^^  Ironicly enough, I was watching an episode of V-Force on YTV as I wrote the last little bit of this. ^^ Well, here you are!  I know the fight-scene sucks, I hate writing them ^^;;; Well, it was nessisary.  So, hope I get a few chapters written while I'm soaking up the sun and we'll see ya in two weeks when I get back! ^-^

Reviews are loved and printed out to be taken with me for moral support!


	17. Family

Wow, and the reviews keep coming in.  Well, I guess it seems like so much more coming in after two weeks all at once, but thanks anyways!  

In particular…

Kim: Ehey, we're getting to it. :P All in due time my dear!

SoulSister: glad you found them so amusing, I certainly did. ^__^

Phoenix147: Did you skip from 1-16 or something?  Because there were chapters in between last time I checked…

Interlude: thanks for risking it just to read this. ^^; I wouldn't think I'm worth it, but whatever :P

Disclaimer:  Red does not own the characters from Beyblade.  She just writes painful things about them that they would probably kill her for if they ended up reading.  Except they don't exist.  -_-;

~~

Two weeks later, Kai was sitting at the kitchen table early in the morning, musing over Claire.  She had been staying with them since her rescue, with Mariah's permission.  After a few days of taking care of the girl under Mariah's watchful eyes Kai had filled out some forms to allow him temporary patronage of Claire.  He and Rei hadn't talked about 'it' yet; in fact, as much as Kai hated to admit it, he was avoiding the subject.  If it came down to it, he didn't know how he'd be able to choose between the two.  That little girl had wormed her way into Kai's heart and parting with her would be as easy as leaving Rei.

He sighed heavily into his smoky coffee and tried to find something else to think about.  Unsuccessful after trying a few subjects, he gave up and sat down in front of the television, picking up the remote control and flicking it on, remembering to keep the volume down.

~~

Kai closed his eyes as strong tanned arms, made gentle by weariness, wrapped around his waist as he stood in front of the picture window looking out over the sparkling night-time city.  He felt the solemn weight of Rei's head on his shoulder and sighed.

"What's wrong?" the Asian murmured.  He had just gotten home from work; Kai had stayed home with Claire.  Mariah was spending time with the girl, usually minding her while the other couple worked, but she had been needed today at the orphanage.

Kai rested his hands on the arms encircling him and slid down their length, reassuring himself of their solidity.  He unconscientiously took part of Rei's weight on himself, sensing the other's weariness.  

"I think we need to talk about Claire," he murmured, looking towards the door behind which the aforementioned girl was sleeping, on a cot leant by the orphanage.

Rei released a great breath and leaned on his lover.  

"Or, if you'd rather wait until some other time, when you're not so tired…" 

"No," Rei interrupted, "We better do this now, or we never will.  Come sit down."

The arms retreated and Kai regretted their loss.  Almost instinctively he turned with them and followed Rei to the couch where they both sunk into the thick cushions thankfully. They were both silent.

"You want to keep her." Rei proved himself as the braver of the two.  Chastising himself for not breaking the subject open himself, Kai said firmly: "Yes," and before Rei could say anything he quickly went into his reasons.  He was flustered, something that didn't usually happen, even when heading important meetings for his corporation.  "I know we'd have to use up more money, and that we'd have to find somewhere to keep her while we're working and clean up the study to make it a bedroom and it'd be a lot of work, but…"

"But you've gotten attached to her now, haven't you?" A small, tired smile curled the edges of Rei's perfect lips.  Kai forced himself to nod decisively even though he knew it was hurting Rei inside.  The Chinese man sighed and let his head fall back to lie on the back of the couch.  Kai studied Rei's braided hair as it fell down the back of the couch, a mass of black on brown, waiting for an answer.

Rei took so long Kai almost wondered if the other man had fallen asleep despite the uncomfortable position, but just before Kai was resolved to leave it for the next day Rei stirred and sat forward.

"I can imagine that making you choose between us would be an evil thing.  I love you and I have nothing against Claire.  I have to say yes."

Kai sighed and reached out to pull Rei into a hug, which the other fell into gratefully.

"I'll make this work, I promise," he murmured, tucking Rei's head under his cheek, feeling the soft pressure of the raven locks against his skin.  "I know you will." Rei's voice was muffled against Kai's chest as Kai gently led him to their bedroom and sleep.

As they both lay together in bed, after Kai had given Rei a gentle massage and made sure his love was known, they were watched by a silent figure in black who smiled softly over them as they slept.

~~

Kai managed to wind his arms around Rei's waist as they stood in the kitchen waiting for Mariah and Claire and asked, "Did you sleep well?"  

"Of course," Rei chuckled and turned to face him, smiling.  Most traces of the last night's exhaustion were worn away by a well-slept night and a restful day home alone.  He had also made sure to point out that his views remained unchanged on the subject they had spoken of the night before when Kai returned home from work.

Now they were just waiting for Claire and Mariah to make it official.

~~

Mariah stepped into the door and called out.  Rei stuck his head out of the kitchen and called out to the two.  

"I made Chinese food for supper, would you like to stay, Mariah?"

"Oh, thanks, sure I would!"

Rei grinned as he ducked back into the kitchen.  He had known his childhood friend wouldn't be able to resist his cooking.  Claire flew in the room after him and latched onto Kai's legs, throwing him, and the plate of food he was holding, off balance.

"Whoa, watch it!"

Rei grabbed Kai's plate from him before it could fall to the ground and set it on the table as the blue-haired man leant over with a grunt to pick up his little girl.

"Come on, you little thug, we've got food on the table all ready for you."

As the little girl was placed in one of the wooden chairs around the table Mariah smiled as the small child cooed over the food ("Wow, did Rei-Rei make all this food?  It smells so yummy!") and Kai and Rei held hands briefly under the table, sharing a secret look.

The women of the world certainly lost something when those two found each other. 

~~

They were just finishing the meal when Kai cleared his throat and wiped his mouth with a paper napkin, glancing at Rei before speaking.

"Mariah, Claire; Rei and I have come to an important decision."

Everyone was looking at him intently as he sighed quietly, feeling the air bristle with that familiar feeling of tension before a point of especial significance in his life, a cornerstone of his fate.

"I, Rei and I, would like to adopt Claire as our own daughter."

Mariah blinked and the child in question just stared.

Finally, Mariah cleared her throat and said: "You two have talked this over?  It's a very important decision and it's not like you can get out of it later if you don't like it."

"We've talked about it," Rei answered, standing up and taking his dishes to the sink and started the water.  Kai's eyes were on Claire.  "Do you understand what this means, Claireie?" he asked softly.  "You could stay and live with us, until you're of age when you're 18.  You'd be our daughter."

"I'd get to stay with you?  Here with Rei-Rei?" she asked, bright blue eyes looking up innocently into Kai's crimson depths.  "Yes," Kai smiled at her seriousness as she sat in a little blue frilly dress, her little feet not even touching the floor.

"Then I want to be adopted," she whispered.

Kai then looked to Mariah for official approval.  

"Well, I don't think there'll be any problem with you two adopting Claire.  If you come down to the office tomorrow then I'll let you in and we can do the paperwork then." She smiled briskly, feeling slightly like the intruder in this new happy family.

She quickly embraced Claire and walked over to the sink where Rei had gotten through most of the dishes and hugged him as well, working around the soapy hands.  "Thanks for dinner, Rei; Good luck," she murmured in Chinese.

Kai escorted her to the door and watched as she collected her purse and coat before leaving.  She was out in the hallway where Kai finally said, "Thank you Mariah.  This means a lot to me."

The pink-haired caretaker turned and smiled at him happily.  "I'm glad you and Rei worked out so well, and I think Claire will be much happier with you than she could be anywhere else.  I should be thanking you."

Kai gave her a smile as she passed down the hallway and he shut the door behind her.  When he walked back into the kitchen Rei and Claire were figuratively flicking soap bubbles at each other.

"So, who wants dissert?" he asked cheerfully, feeling much lighter than he had for a long time.  Another chapter of his life was over, and another was just beginning.

~~

[1707 words, written to Apocolyptica and REM over about 2 hours one day and ½ hour now]

Nyah, that ending is a bit (XD a lot) clichéd, but what can ya do, ne?  I was in a relatively good day today so I managed to get up the courage to get this finished. I like this chapter, it's pretty good by my standards of myself, if insanely clichéd, stupid and overdone, but whatever.  If you people ever want updates on my working schedule, I'm posting notices on my profile thingie relatively regularly, so you can read there what I'm working on.

Review review review, dahlings, and I will love you forevah!


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